Toy whale



' D. A. POLZIN July 4, 1961 TOY WHALE Filed June 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet1 ATTOR N EYE gram JH/V fizz/1V I I I I I I I I July 4, 1961 D. A.POLZIN} TOY WHALE Filed June 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet z 7 3mm 352921052P05421111 ATTORN EYE United States Patent M Filed June 11, 1959, Ser.No. 819,669

4 Claims. (Cl. 46-243) 7 The. present invention relates to a toy whaleof the animated variety.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an animated toy whalehaving means to simulate the action of a live whale.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy whale of the classdescribed above having means to causethe whale to simulate the action ofa whale when harpooned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy whale having powerdriven means for causing the whale to move through the water and toalternately dive and surface while moving through the water.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a toy whale of theclass described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to useand which will pro vide entertainment for children over a long period oftime.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in light of the attached drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan View of the mechanism of the invention with thebody shown in section, taken along the line 11 of FIGURE 2 looking inthe direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along the line 2 -2 ofFIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; I

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec tional view taken alongthe line 33 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken alongthe line 44 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation shown partially in section of a harpoonthrowing accessory used with the toy whale; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation partially in section of a hook accessoryused with the toy whale.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like referencecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, thereference numeral 10 indicates generally a toy whale constructed inaccordance with the invention.

The toy whale 10 includes a hollow plastic body 11 simulating generallythe shape of the body of a whale. A hollow plastic false top 12 issecured to the top of the whale body 11 by means of screws 13. Anelectric motor 14 is mounted in the body 11 in ofiset relation withrespect to the center line thereof near the rear end 15 of the body 11.A flipper tail 16 is mounted on the end 15 of the body 11 by means of avertically extending pivot 17. An actuator arm 18 is fixed to the tail16 and extends into the body 11. A yoke 19 is mounted on the inner endof the arm 18 and has a vertically extending slot 20 formed therein. Agear train 21 is connected to the rear end of the motor 14 and has arearwardly extending crank 22 mounted for rotation thereon. The crank 22engages in the slot 20 of the yoke 19 so that upon rotation of the geartrain 21 the tail 16 is caused to oscillate from side to side on thepivot 17.

A second gear train 23 is mounted on the forward end of the motor 14 andcarries an eccentrically moving tether pin 24 thereon. A bellows 25 ispositioned forwardly of the motor 14 and is normally closed by anPatented July 4, 1961 internal spring (not shown). A pair of cords 26,27 are connected to opposite sides of the bellows 25 and are trainedover a plurality of pulleys 28 with their opposite ends connected to thetether pin 24, whereby on rotation of the gear train 23 the bellows 25is expanded and then permitted to contract alternately. A conduit 29extends from the bellows 25 to the mouth 30 of the body 11. A one wayconduit 31 extends from the bellows 25 into the false top 12. The falsetop 12 has a port 32 "formed centrally therein overlying the one-wayconduit 31 and a pair of symmetrically arranged holes 33 positioned onopposite sides of the false top 12 adjacent the body 11. The port 32forms a dual purpose since it permits water forced out of the one wayconduit 31 into the false top 12 to be squirted outwardly thereof tosimulate the spouting of a whale. The openings 33 serve as drain holesto empty any water remaining in the false top 12 and also permits waterto enter the false top 12 as the whale submerges. The water thusentering the false top 12 by means of the openings 33 affects thebuoyancy of the whale and port 32 also permits air and water to bespouted outwardly therethrough as the whale submerges and the waterenters through the openings 33.

A shaft '34 extends horizontally across the body 11 forwardly of thebellows 25 and has a weight 35 slidably mounted thereon. The weight 35is normally positioned on the shaft 34 on the opposite side of the body11 from the motor 14 so as to counterbalance the motor 14 to cause thebody 11 to float in an erect position.

A coil spring 36 is held in compressed position by the weight 35, withthe weight 35 in its counterbalancing position.

A trigger plate 37 is mounted in one side of the body 11 on a shaft '38and is normally urged outwardly away from the body 11 by a coil spring39. A second trigger plate 40 is mounted in the opposite side of thebody 11 on a shaft 41 and is normally urged away from the body 11 by acoil spring '42. A cord '43 trained over a pulley 44 connects the shafts38, 41 so that inward movement of the shaft 41 will cause the shaft 38to also simultaneously move inwardly. A tripper 45 is secured to theunderside of the body 11 by a pivot pin 46. An arm 47 extends inwardlyfrom the inner end of the flipper 45 and is connected to an elongatedlink -48 by a pivot pin 49. The link 48 has an elongated slot 50 formedtherein which engages over a mounting pin 51 supported in the body 11.

A cord 52 is connected to the weight 35 and is trained over a pulley 53and passes through a bore in the upper end of the link 48 extending toan anchor point 54 adjacent the pulley 53. A latch 55 is mounted on theshaft 38 and normally retains the link 48 in the position illustrated inFIGURE 2. The compression of the coil spring 36 by the weight 35maintains the cord 52 taut so that on movement of either of the triggerplates 37, 40 the latch 55 will release the link 48, permitting the coilspring 36 to move the weight 35 to the same side of the body 11 as themotor 14. This movement will cause the tripper 45 to be moved outwardlyand will simultaneously overbalance the whale body 11, causing it tofloat on its side with the motor and weight 35 down.

A battery 59 is mounted in the forward end of the body 11 and has aswitch connector bar 60 engaging the contact thereof. A pivoted post 61is mounted in the body 11 and has a tether 62 connected to the switchbar 60. A cord 63 has one end connected to the post 61 and passesthrough a pair of guides 64, 65 with its opposite end connected to theweight 35. Movement of the weight 35, as described above, upon actuationof the trigger plates 37 or 40, will move the cord 63 to disengage theswitch bar 60 from the battery 59 to deenergize the motor 14 so as tostop the propelling and pumping actionthereof.

A magnetized plate is mounted in the mouth 30 on a pair of angle guides67 formed integrally with the body 11. The forward end of the magnetizedplate 66 is provided with an undercut depending flange 68, as best seenin FIGURE 2. The magnetized'plate 66 is connected by a tether 69 to [thelower end of the post 61 so that on forward movement of the plate 66 thepost 61 will be pivoted to move the switch bar 60 out of contact withthe battery 59 so as to shut off the motor 14.

A harpoon gun is generally indicated at 70 in FIGURE and includes asuction cup base 7 1, standard 72, elongated tubular barrel 73, coilspring 74, release trigger 75 and a harpoon shaft 76 having a suctioncup 77' mounted on its outer end. The harpoon shaft 76 is forced intothe barrel 73 against a spring follower 78 and the spring 74 is heldcompressed by the trigger 75. Upon release of the trigger 75, the spring74 expels the harpoon shaft 76 from the barrel 73 so that if properlyaimed, suction cup 77 will strike the trigger plates 37 or 40 toestablish the action described above. A tether 79 secures the harpoonshaft 76 to the barrel 73 to permit the harpoon shaft 76 to be retrievedfollowing a shot.

A hook, indicated generally at 80 in FIGURE 6, consists of a shank 81supported on a line 82 and having a cross bar 83 loosely mounted in theopposite end thereof, terminating in a pair of heads 84 rigidly securedto opposite ends thereof. The hook 80 is adapted to be used inconjunction with the magnetized plate 66 and the heads 84 cooperate withthe depending flange 68 to prevent the hook 80 from slipping off of themagnetized plate 66.

In the use and operation of the invention, the whale is released in apool of water, such as a bath tub with the motor 14 driving the body 11forwardly by means of the tail 16 and simultaneously pumping water intoand out of bellows 25 to vary the buoyancy of the body 11, causing thewhale to alternately submerge and rise with a weak stream of water beingexpelled through the hole 32 as the whale rises to the surface,simulating the spouting of a whale. The whale when harpooned will rollover and cease moving in the water. When caught with the hook 80 thewhale will stop moving forwardly and can be pulled in similarly to afish.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention, itshould be understood that numerous structural. modifications: andadaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A whale simulating toy comprising a hollow body, a motor mounted insaidbody, propulsion means coupled to said motor, buoyancy varying meanspositioned in said body and actuated by said. motor, spring actuatedoounterbalancing means mounted in said. body, said spring actuatedcounterbalancing meanscomprising a horizontal shaft mounted in said bodytransversely thereof, a weight slidably mounted on said shaft, and acoil spring mounted on said shaft and engaging said weight to move saidweight from a balancing position to an overbalancing position at theopposite end of said shaft, a battery for energizing said motor, aswitch connecting said battery to said motor, means connecting saidswitch to said weight, and means actuated from outside said body forreleasing said spring to move said weight to overbalance said body andto simultaneously deenergize said motor by the weight pulling the meansconnected to the switch to actuate the switch to disconnect the batteryfrom the motor.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for varying thebuoyancy of said body comprises a bellows, and means on said motoractuating said bellows to pump water into and out of'said bellows.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said propulsion meanscomprises a tail mounted for oscillation on one end of said body andmeans on said motor for oscillating said tail.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a magnetized plate is mountedon said body for sliding movement with said plate beingengageable by ahook, and means actuated by movement of said plate for deenergizing saidmotor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,205,759 Lewis Nov. 21, 1916 1,271,272 Bunkley .t July 2, 19182,164,340 Morgan July 4, 1939 2,598,487 Anechiarico May 27, 19522,611,996 Garelick Sept. 30, 1952 2,854,787 Oberg Oct. 7, 1958

